QuakeSafe

The Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) is the control agency for earthquakes in Victoria, which means that we are responsible for planning for earthquakes and for managing responses if an earthquake does occur.

An earthquake is the shaking and vibration at the surface of the Earth caused by underground movement along a fault plane, or by volcanic activity.

Unlike other countries such as Japan, New Zealand and Indonesia, Australia does not lie in close proximity to a tectonic plate boundary where large earthquakes can occur. However, communities in Australia can still experience damaging and deadly earthquakes. The largest earthquake to affect Australia in recent times was the Newcastle earthquake in 1989, which killed 13 people and injured 160.

We’ve put together some important information that can help you learn more about earthquakes, including what to do before, during and after one.